A Lovely Night
by TheValetAndTheMaid
Summary: When Elsie suggests that she and Charles take care of Anna and Bates' son for the night when he is teething to let the two of them get some much-needed rest she thinks she's in for a long night, but - instead - her night turns out to be much more lovely than she could have ever anticipated.


**Author's Note: I apologise if this fic isn't the best. I've never written a fanfiction about Chelsie before so this is all new territory for me, but I hope that you all enjoy it a little at least!**

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Elsie hummed a soft tune into the fair hair of the infant that was perched on her hip as she stood in the sitting room of the cottage that she and Charles shared one night, the one-year-old whimpering against her from discomfort as his face was buried in her neck and her lips were buried in his hair. She felt for the wee one, of course she did, but she knew that she had done all she could to ease his pain for the moment and so all that she was trying to do now was calm him and – hopefully – lull him into slumber with her songs.

When Anna and Mr. Bates had arrived at Downton with William that morning the two of them had looked as though they hadn't slept well in weeks. Which – she now knew – they hadn't. William had been teething for the last fortnight and the two of them had spent night after night pacing with him whilst he cried, singing to him and allowing him to suck on a cold washcloth, but none of those things had done the trick. It had been obvious to her that poor Anna had reached the end of her tether and had been quite ready to sob.

In fact, she _had_ sobbed when she had come into her sitting room after breakfast.

Once she had finished letting all of her emotions out onto her shoulder the two of them had sat down at the table together. Anna had then admitted to her that she had felt as though she was a failure. She had told her that she felt as though – since she was Will's mother – she should know how to help with his pain. She hadn't accepted that, however, and so – after reassuring her that she _was _a good mother – she had offered to help her.

She had offered to have William with her for the night so that she and Mr. Bates could get the rest that the two of them needed and deserved. At first, Anna had refused and said that it wasn't right for her to burden her with her problems, but after rather a lot of convincing she had relented and told her that she'd go home and get him some things. She had returned with a bag that contained cloths, his bedtime bottle and nightclothes.

Remembering about his bedtime bottle, she glanced up at the clock on the wall to check the time. 6:50. He was due to have his feed in ten minutes and so she readjusted him on her hip before carrying him out of the living room and to the kitchen, William lifting his head off of her shoulder when she opened the refrigerator and got his bottle. 'Bot bot.' He said whilst pointing at the bottle in her hand when she turned her head towards him.

'It is time for your bottle, my darling.' She pressed her lips to his hairline in a soft kiss. 'Shall we get it warmed up so that you can drink it and then we can get you changed into your pyjamas?' When William nodded in response she gave him the gentlest of squeezes before he laid his head on her shoulder once again and curled his fingers into her dress. She then set about looking for a saucepan and filling it with water to heat up his bottle.

It wasn't too long later when his bottle was warmed up enough for him to have and Elsie was walking back into the sitting room with him, she and Charles sharing a little smile as he was now sat in his armchair with a book. Once she had sat herself on the edge of the sofa she brought William to sit in her lap, her heart swelling when he just let him bring him backwards slightly so that he was cradled in one arm. 'You darling boy…' She sighed.

After giving him another kiss on the hairline she brought the bottle to his lips and drew him a little closer when he began to suck on the nipple of it, her gaze focused on him as she rocked back and forth with him. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye a few minutes later and after turning her head in the direction of her husband she gave him a smile as he left his armchair and headed over to the sofa in order to sit with her.

'You're incredible with him.' Charles mumbled into her dark hair after kissing her on the side of her head and wrapping an arm around her middle, her eyes shining as she rested her head on his shoulder through his shirt and gazed up at him. 'How is he?' He inquired.

She sighed and lowered her gaze to the calm and content babe in her arms. 'He's better than he was when we got him here, the wee darling, but he's still in a lot of pain. I'm not surprised that Anna and Mr. Bates have been finding it hard to sleep. Not with how loud he cries.' She felt Charles run his hand warmly up and down her back through her dress.

'How about I go and put a washcloth in some ice-water?' He suggested. 'Then we can run it over his gums and see if it numbs some of the pain.' He felt his heart swell within his chest when Elsie met his gaze again and he could see nothing but sheer love in her eyes.

'That would be much appreciated.' She leaned forward to peck at his lips. 'Thank you.'

He then rose from the sofa in order to leave the sitting room and go into the kitchen, a sigh escaping Elsie as she leaned back against one of the cushions on the sofa and pulled William a little further into her warmth. She knew that – even though he'd deny it if he was asked – he had quite a soft spot for the little one in her arms. William had spent the afternoon with them a few weeks ago and her husband had played with him all the while.

Some people who knew him thought that he was insensitive and a bit of a bully.

Those people didn't know him like she knew him, however.

Those people didn't know how warmly he held her at night. Those people didn't know how he woke her with a steaming cup of tea before she went to work each morning and those people didn't know how he always – without fail – had a bath waiting for her to slip right into as soon as she returned from Downton late in the evenings. She knew him the best.

She knew that there was a whole other side to him that he didn't show to other people.

The side that he reserved for her.

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'Everything is fine here, Anna, I promise.' Elsie said over the telephone later that night.

'I'm glad.' The young woman replied. 'Has Will been good for you?'

'He's been a wee star, just like I knew he would be.' Elsie admitted. 'He had his bottle at seven and then he let me change his cloth and put him into his pyjamas. He was drifting off when I came down here to answer your telephone call, so I'll be surprised if he isn't sound asleep when I go up.' The two of them giggled together before she let out a sigh. 'Have you and Mr. Bates had a peaceful evening alone together?' She asked with a smile.

'We have.' Anna informed her. 'Mr. Bates is snoring away upstairs now.'

Elsie chuckled in response. 'Just as you should be.'

'I'll go up in a moment.' Anna reassured her. 'I just wanted to thank you again for this.'

'What did I tell you earlier?' Elsie sighed. 'You don't need to thank me.'

A few seconds of silence passed. 'Will you do one more thing for me?' Anna inquired.

'Of course. Just name it.' Elsie said to her.

'Will you give William a kiss for me, please?' Was Anna's request.

'I will, I promise.' Elsie nodded. 'Now, off to bed with you. We'll see you in the morning.'

'Yes, Mrs. Hughes.' Anna replied. 'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight, my dear.' She then waited for Anna to put the telephone down before doing the same and smiling to herself as she turned on her heel and walked over to the stairs, a yawn escaping her lips that she stifled with her hand whilst walking up the staircase. Once she had reached the top of the stairs she walked to the bedroom that she shared with her husband and opened the door, her breath hitching at the scene in front of her.

There, on his side of their marital bed, Charles was sleeping with his arms around young William as the one-year-old had his head buried beneath his chin and his face buried in his throat. The two of them were the epitome of peace as they slumbered side-by-side and the longer she watched them together the more tears of happiness stung her eyes.

She had never seen a more perfect sight before in her life.

After watching the two of them sleep next to one another for a time she ventured over to the bed before pulling back the covers and getting into bed, her lips curling up into a smile as she watched William snuggle further into her husband's chest. 'Mummy asked if I would give you this from her, my wee one.' She whispered into the infant's blonde hair after shifting a bit closer to him, her eyes closing when she kissed the back of his head.

She pressed her lips to the centre of her husband's forehead after she had drawn back from William, her love for him deepening when he sighed in his sleep. 'I love you, you big softie.' She whispered to him before lying her head on her pillow and shutting her eyes.

As she drifted off to sleep that night, the sound of William and Charles' perfect snores filling the silence of the room, she drifted off with a smile and a heart filled with love.

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**Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this little one-shot and I hope that you all liked it! I also hope that you'll drop me a review to let me know what you thought and if you want me to write more for Chelsie! x**


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